Improvement in methods of warming railroad-cars



T. N. MORSE. Method of Warming Railroad Cars.

Patented Nov. 16, 1869.

Pholo-Lithugmnhar, wa-nm n. u. c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS N. MORSE, ()F'FAllt-HAVJ'IN, 1\IASSAO1.[USETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN METHODS OF WARMING RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 90,915, dated November 16, 1869.

To altwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TnoMAs N. Mouse, of Fairhaven, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts,have invented a new and Improved Method of \Varming Railroad-(Jars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, roterence being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of portions of the frame-work of two cars having my improvements applied to them. Fig. 2 is a. plan view of the heating apparatus and thojoints of the ends oi. the hot-air pipes. Fig. 25 is a diametrical section through one of the registers. .l ig. t is a. diametrical section through the steamboiler and its air-heating pipes.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several ti gures.

The main object of this invention isto warm railroad-cars by means of air which is heated in its passage through pipes arranged in a steam-boiler, and which is thence conducted through pipes and registers into the cars. Another objectis to connect the ends of the pipe of one car with the ends of the pipes of other cars by means of telescopic joints combined with double ball-and-socket joints, which will accommodate themselves to all the motions of a train, allow a coupling or uncoupling to be readily etl'ected, and automatically close the ends of the pipes when cars are disconnected.

I am aware that prior to my invention attempts have been made to warm railroad-cars by means of air which was heated by conducting it through pipes arranged in a furnacechamber, and then introducing the air thus heated into cars by means of pipes and registers. Air when heated in this way is dry and unpleasant.

I am also aware that steam has been used for warming cars; but owing to the difficulties attending the carrying of steam under pressure from one car into another, and its rapid condensation in the pipes, this method is very objeetionable.

I am also aware that ball-and-socket joints have been used with sliding joints for making the connections between the ends of pipes; but I am notgawaro that pipes have ever been connected in the manner and for the purposes hereinafter set forth.

The following description of my improved method of warming cars will enable others skilled in the art to understand how to carry- \Vithin the wnter-chamber of the boiler .B is Y a pipe q, which may be coiled around the tines (I, so as to obtain in a very compact space a I considerable length of pipe.

It'dcsirablc, the pipeg may becarricd through the lire-chamber from a spent, 9, so that the air will pass through the tire chamber, and thence through the water-chamber on its way from an air-forcing engine, 0, to a branch pipe, 1

lhe steam-boiler shell should be m adc strong,

to resist considerable pressure of steam, audit should be furnished with a safety-gage valve,

a, and with cocks and other appendages belonging to boilers for driving-engines.

The pipe or spent 7 (mmmunicatcs at one end with the lower end of the air-pipe g and at the other end with a rotary fan-case, (J. Within this case 0 a fan is arranged, carrying on its shafta pulley, 0, around which a belt,f, passes, which is also passed around a wheel on one of the car-axles. In this way the retary motion of the caraxle can bemade to drive the fan. If it is desired to give motion to the fan or any other suitable pneumatic engine when a train is at rest as well as when itis in m0- tion, I shall employ a small engine and steam is made in the boiler 13 and the fan in case (J is rotated air will be forced into and through the coil of pipe 9 and heated by the hot water and steam in the boiler B. The air thus heated is conducted through the vertical pipe 9 and delivered into a pipe, D, which is arranged beneath and permanently attached drive it by steam taken from the boiler B. When which are located at suitable points along the bottom or iloor 01' this car A.

The following is a description oi my mode of connecting together the ends oi the two pipes of 'ars A and A: The end oi the pipe I) oi'car Ais made ilaring and ground out so as to form a socket, i, adapted to receive a ball,

7. This ball is hollow, and has a hole at 0 and a. tube at k, which latter is diametrically opposite the hole 0, as shown in Fig. 1. 0n opposite sides oi the ball j are pins, to which springs h h are secured, which springs are at inched to thepipe l) oi'cur A. by books, as shown in Fig. 2. It. will be seen tlntt springs h It will hold the ballj snugly into its socket and allow ai'ree universal articulation oi this ball. When the tube It is in the position indicated in Figs. 1and2 air will i'recly escape from pipel) through it; but it' the free end of this tube It is allowed to drop and assume a position at right angles to its pipe D the solid portion oi ball j will shut the end of this pipe and prevent air escaping therefrom. In this way the ball j is made to antomatically close the end oi'its pipe I) when car A is disconnected from car A. The pipe I) which is beneath carA' has its ends provided with articulating tubular connectlons constructed precisely like the connection on pipe I) of the car A. The short tube It" is made large enough to receive into it the tube It, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and to allow a free endwise motion.

\Vhcn the two pipes D are connected by the double lntll-and-socket joints and sleevejoint, as above descrilwd, there will be a. tree passage for air through the jolnled parts, and these parts will articulate freely and accommodate themselves to all the motions ol the Gill.

In practice the pipes I) I) will terminate on one side of the center of the width of the cars, so as to be out of the way of builers and couplings, which may be of the well-known or improved kind.

removed at pfiso that when this opening is brought opposite the opening 1) a communication is established between the registerchainbcr and warm-air pipe 1). By turning the tube a more or less a greater or less quantity oi air can be admitted into car, or the inilux of air can be shut olt altogether.

l have previously stated that when two cars are disconnected the free ends of the tubes It It will drop down, so that these tubes will assume positions at right angles to their respective pipes .I).

In making up a train the cars are coupled together in the usual manner, after which the tubes and balls are dislocated from their respective sockets, which will be allowed by the springs It It. The said tubes are then connected by slipping one into the other, and their balls returigid into their sockets.

lily the invention which .I have above described I. am enabled to practically warm railroad-cars by properly-tentpered air which is heated by conducting it through a pipe arranged inside oi a steam-boiler, and thence forcing it through pipes arranged btmeath the ear-beds and connected together at the ends of the cars by means of lntll-and-stmltel; and sleeve couplings. Instead oi using the boiler for heating air to be forced into the cars in U l the summer season, ice might be pntjnto the chamber which was used l'or the watey, which would refrigerate the air forced through the coil of pipe, and in this way fruits arid vegetables could be preserved for a considerable length of time during transportation"in cars.

I am aware that it is not new to i'ormfa coupling between the ends of pipes arranged beneath railroad cars by the combination of a telescopic joint and two ball-andsocketjoints when the latter are permanently attached to the said pipes; and such combination I do not claim as my invention. '1 have combined with two ball-and-socket joints and a telescopic joint a third element-to wit., springs for bolding the ball-and-socket joints together and allowing oi. their dislocation when desired to eil'eet a coupling, as horeinabm'e explained.

.llavingdescribed my invention, whutl claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters latent,

1. An air-forcing apparatus, in combination with a pipe leading through the steam and water space of a stcam-boiler,-and communicating with pipes which are arranged beneath the car-beds, and which are connected by h'ollow uuiversaljoints,substantially as described. 2. The construction of the line-boiler B,with

an air-pipe arranged within its water and steam space, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination of balls and sockc.s*i j";

'i' j, telescopic joint In is, springs h h, and

pipes 1') I), constructed and put together sub stnntially as described. I

THOMAS N. MORSE.

Witnesses:

James 1'. (human, ll. W. ltrelnvrom). 

